A Merman's Vengeance
by Crystalteen
Summary: Adrian is a rebellious teenage merman that has lived all of his life on land. However, he now lives by himself on Mako and is determined to complete a shocking assignment: find the trident. If only he knew that this challenge wasn't going to be an easy one to complete, considering four mermaids, another merman, and a human are also on the hunt for the trident.
1. A New Merman

**A/N: What up, all of my fantastic viewers? :D**

 **In case any of you are wondering, I have become very interested in the TV show, _Mako Mermaids._ Ever since I saw the first episode, I just knew that I had to make this mysterious, suspenseful, and shocking story for all of your entertainment. :) **

**This story takes place during season one, right after the episode "Battlelines." (Episode 14, where Zac and Cam discover that Rita's a mermaid, just like Lyla, Nixie, and Sirena.)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the plot to this story and my original characters. _Mako Mermaids_ is a Netflix original series that's based off _H20: Just Add Water_ and is now shown on Disney Channel. I do not own it or any of its actual characters. All rights for this amazing show goes to the original owners and creators. Also, I don't own the song, "Fly to Your Heart." It belongs to its original singer, Selena Gomez, and other creator(s). **

**Warning : This story is rated T for Teen because of language. If it's ever necessary, I'll insert more warnings in upcoming chapters to prepare you for any triggering/gruesome scenes. **

**Also, anytime you see** " _italic_ " **print, it means someone is singing.**

 **(More detailed) Summary: Adrian, short for Adriatic, is a mischievous seventeen-year-old merman with enhanced powers and a cutthroat attitude. After living all of his life on land, he's succeeded at blending in with all of the "land people" and keeping his secret hidden. Nonetheless, Adrian now lives by himself in an underwater cave that's connected to a secret grotto on Mako ... and he has received an assignment from a shocking source: find the trident. Unfortunately for Adrian, he is completely unaware that he's about to accept his greatest challenge, considering four mermaids, another merman, and a human are also on the hunt for the trident. And one of those mermaids just so happen to be Rita Santos...**

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated! :) Please share your thoughts! :)**

 **I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of "A Merman's Vengeance." :D :D Happy reading!**

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Adrian's POV

To me, swimming by myself was more of a luxury than a lonely form of torture. This wasn't my first time swimming alone in the ocean and it sure as hell wasn't my hundredth time either.

For all seventeen years of my life, I've had to deal with constantly walking on legs, being surrounded by all of these land people, and living in this cluttered box that was known as an apartment. And if _that_ wasn't enough, my legal guardian 'suggested' that I got a job to make my land dweller cover even more believable. So, for the past three years, I have been holding down late afternoon shifts at the Ocean Mall. For five hours every weekday, I was stuck arranging countless sticks of deodorant, offering perfume samples, and acting as perky as possible to every damn customer that entered the Fragrance Shack. It might as well have been a piece of hell on earth that wreaked of flowers, woodsy pine, and lavender; but if there was any job that I could force myself to deal with, it was the one that also offered the scents of fresh island breezes, tropical fruits, and the ocean sea.

So, if it isn't already obvious, I've mastered at blending in with the shore lifestyle without having my secret exposed by anyone. I'm not saying that I haven't had any close or _extremely_ close calls before, but what's the point of having a life if taking risks wasn't involved? There was absolutely nothing that restrained me from sneaking away from land at least four times each day to swim by my lonesome. The water could've been engulfed with many boats and tourists - which it has been plenty of times before - and even _that_ wouldn't hold me back.

As of right now, the sky was pitch-black and overflowing with dozens of constellations that I knew better than the back of my hand. Their silvery light shined against the darkened sea, illuminating every calm wave as I slowly twirled a couple of times underwater, basking in the pleasant silence. Finally, within a few more seconds, I met the surface of the sea and my head rose out of the water. I was then wrapped up in the surprisingly comfortable breeze, feeling it caress every visible inch of my wet and bare skin.

I quietly drew in a deep breath of the salty air and released it as a blissful sigh. "Nothing better than taking a swim while knowing I don't have to deal with being surrounded by a bunch of land bitches until morning." I muttered under my breath. After that, as soon as I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but automatically turn my head up towards the dark sky. There were a few minor, practically see-through clouds dancing swiftly through the air. They whisked across the crescent moon, almost perfectly resembling puffs of smoke, but they still failed to hide the moon's brightness.

"You can do this, Adrian..." I narrowed my eyes as I spoke, focusing on the moon's crescent shape. My Australian accent was drenched in bitterness, seeping through my vaguely clenched teeth. "There isn't _anything_ \- or possibly _anyone -_ in all of existence that's going to keep you from completing this assignment. The next full moon is in just a couple of weeks. You can do this and you sure as hell _will_." I rotated myself back around in the water, expecting to see much more of the wide-open sea, but before I could dive back underwater, I stopped myself when I noticed something completely different from the ocean.

After swimming with no direct route for God knows how long, I ended up coming face-to-face with a shore dweller's backyard. From what I could make out in the dim moonlight, it included this two-story box - I mean, _house_ \- that was sitting alongside another building that, judging by its much smaller and slimmer size, didn't look like it had much of a story to tell.

They were both enclosed by the same modern white fence and almost every inch of their edges were decorated with multiple herbs and bright yellow rose bushes that looked like they had been recently planted. Other than that, the bulkier house included a large wooden deck that was built right outside a sliding-glass door, providing a BBQ grill and a patio dining set. And lastly, there were a few round cobblestones that led up to this dreary looking dock. It was drained from any of its past color and led a few feet out into the water, reaching to the exact point where I was.

"Oh, for the love of God," I groaned, rolling my eyes at the sight. "I can bring myself to deal with these assholes living their two-legged lives _beside_ the ocean, but they're _really_ pushing their boundaries with building all of these docks."

A tall umbrella that was positioned nearby the patio's table fluttered a bit in the wind, seeming to grab my attention for a couple of more seconds. Til' this day, I still struggled to understand why land people thought they needed those to protect themselves from the rain so much. After all, they weren't the ones who had to constantly avoid getting splashed by the smallest amounts of water and keep their fishy tails from being exposed to the rest of the world. To me, there was only one real reason behind why land people _actually_ needed umbrellas: for tacky decorations.

With a quiet scoff, I turned my back on the shore dweller's property and stretched my arms out as far as I could in front of me, preparing to dive once again. However, just as I folded my right hand on top of my left one and linked my fingers together, I was struck with the sudden urge to stop what I was doing and look up at the sky. It fled through my chest and filled me up with this surprisingly warm sensation, as if a ray of sunlight had lightly melted through my skin. Why in the hell did this feeling come to me almost every night? I didn't have the slightest clue; but it seemed to grow even stronger every time it trickled through me, and it always brought the same thought to my mind: that forbidden song.

It's been two weeks since I last withdrew myself from it. For two weeks, I have restrained myself from singing it. I've even been _forbidden_ to sing it ... but now, I was being drawn into the same pleasant temptation to cave and sing it once again. Unfortunately, ignoring it now wasn't as simple as it had been when I first refused to sing it fourteen days ago. Now, the sensation was unavoidable, pouring through each of my veins and making me feel like I was being hypnotized - except I wasn't. I was fully aware of what I was doing and I still had complete control of myself.

I tilted my head back, feeling my heart beginning to pick up the pace as I watched a few stars shoot across the darkness of the sky. "Damn it, he's going to kill me if he finds out about this..." I straightened my lips, "...but I guess what he doesn't know won't cause any harm." Without another word, I then lunged myself back underwater, feeling both frustrated and desirably overwhelmed by the mysterious warmth.

Within a couple of seconds, I reappeared, poking my head back out of the water's surface from a new post: right underneath the same land person's dock. The bottom of its supporters were rimmed in bubbly patches of sea foam that had small clusters of gray barnacles embedded in them, but that didn't bother me one bit. When it came to certain sorts of sea life that could have some type of affect on land people, mermen like me - as well as mermaids - were obviously left unaffected.

I stared at the moon, shooting daggers at it as the silvery light encouraged me even more to sing. At the same time, the taste and smell of salt seemed to grow even richer. Heavenly. And before I could see it coming...

" _Watch all the palm trees dance with the wind. Listen to the waves whisper your name. Feel all the wonder lifting your dreams, you can fly ... f_ _ly to who you are. Climb upon your_ _star._ _You believe you'll find your wings. Fly ... to your heart._ " My voice was as smooth as caramel, dripping from a spoon and perfectly wrapping around my accent as the lyrics drifted through the air. " _Touch every rainbow painting the sky. Look at the magic glide through your life. A sprinkle of pixie dust circles the_ _night. You can fly..._ " I relaxed my eyes shut, feeling the luminous sensation continue to powerfully surge through me. A minor smile even managed to curl up on the edges of my lips. " _Fly to who you are. Climb upon your star. You believe you'll find your wings. Fly ... everywhere you go, your soul will find a home. You'll be free to spread your wings. Fly ... you can fly to your heart._ "

Zac's POV

Despite how difficult it was, I was slowly beginning to accept how my life was most likely never going to be the same as it used to be. Ever since the accident on Mako Island took place - that 'accident' being when I somehow fell into an enchanted moon pool during a camping trip with Cam and developed the ability to become part fish whenever I got wet - I've clearly gained a hell of a lot more responsibilities. Now, not only did I have to keep my grades up in school and attend to my lifeguard duties as naturally as possible, but I had no choice but to keep this new half of my life a secret from my parents, Evie, and the rest of the universe. And on top of all of that ... I just _had_ to get my hands back on the trident.

Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, that wasn't going to be an easy task. Ever since I discovered the backstabbing secret that Lyla, Nixie, and Sirena were also mermaids, the three of them made it their goal to constantly be on my tail - literally. No matter where I went, whether it was to school, the beach, the Ocean Café, or back to Mako Island, they were _always_ there, watching and trying to convince me that the trident was dangerous in order to keep me away from the chamber. I swear, the only time I was actually able to get away from them was when I was in the bathroom or hanging out by myself in my garage - which, by the way, my dad helped me convert into my own private hangout about a year ago.

When I last managed to grab the trident ... absolutely no words could possibly describe how powerful it made me felt. It was like it had been created for me and only me to hold, and it had been waiting for God knows how many years for me to find it. If the trident had been made for one of those pesky mermaids, then why hadn't they been able to locate it until I came into I came into the picture? I didn't have the slightest clue, but what I _did_ know was that I wasn't going to listen to their 'warnings' on staying away from Mako Island or the trident. I _was_ going to go back and I _was_ going to get the trident, no matter how many attempts it took.

I was currently in bed, buried underneath a pile of tussled blankets and blankly staring up at the ceiling. I had just woken up from _another_ dream, but this one didn't involve the trident, the girls, or me transforming. Instead, it centered around the most recent secret that Cam and I uncovered about Principal Santos. She too was a mermaid, equipped with a series of powers and a bright orange/red-rimmed tail whenever she touched water. I guess it should have occurred to me faster than it did, considering she said a few months back that she was the supposed aunt of Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla; but I've been 'a little' preoccupied with getting used to my new life as a merman.

"Come on, Zac," I whispered as I stared at my poster of Kelly Slater for a couple of more seconds. He was apparently a well-known surfer from the 1900's. I didn't know him, but my mom got me the poster for my birthday and I didn't want to be rude. "Forget about the mermaids and go back to sleep. There's school to attend to in a few more hours."

I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind and relax. However, just as I thought that I was going to be able to drift back off into a deep sleep...

" _Watch all the palm trees dance with the wind. Listen to the waves whisper your name. Feel all the wonder lifting your dreams, you can fly ... fly to who you_ _are._ "

My eyes immediately shot back open. When I was a kid, I remember how often my parents laughed about how I had an overactive imagination. Back then, it was very easy to believe them and laugh along. As of now, due to my discovery of the existence of mermaids and magic, I obviously couldn't. 'It's just in your head' I wanted to tell myself so badly, 'you're so tired and worked up over those damn mermaids that you're hearing things.' Unfortunately, even if I did, I wouldn't believe it.

" _Climb upon your_ _star._ _You believe you'll find your wings. Fly ... to your heart._ "

Almost instantly, the remaining drowsiness vanished from my system, and I shot up into a sitting position.

"What the hell..." My voice was quiet and alert, but also dripping with some confusion. "Is that ... is that somebody _singing?_ "

" _Touch every rainbow painting the sky. Look at the magic glide through your life. A sprinkle of pixie dust circles the_ _night. You can fly..._ "

With my curiosity overpowering me, I snapped my attention over to my nightstand and noticed that the bright red numbers on my alarm clock now read 1:45 in the morning. Who in the hell would be outside - and not to mention _singing_ \- at this hour? Instead of giving myself the chance to come up with any suggestions, I reached behind the framed photo of me and Evie on the beach during one of our first dates and snatched up my cell phone, nearly knocking the picture over in the process.

After turning it on and narrowing my eyes from the brightness of the screen, I quickly searched through my contacts and selected Cam's number.

" _Fly to who you are. Climb upon your star._ " The waiting tone rang one time. " _You believe you'll find your wings. Fly..._ " The waiting tone rang again. " _Everywhere you go, your soul will find a home. You'll be free to spread your wings. Fly..._ " Another waiting tone.

"Pick up the phone, Cam..." I muttered in a somewhat firm voice. There went the fourth waiting tone. "Come on, pick up the phone..."

" _You can fly ... to your heart._ _Fly ... fly..._ "

Eventually, after a couple of more seconds, the waiting beeps were cut off by a recording: "Hey, you reached the voicemail of Cam Mitchell. Sorry, but I can't come to the phone right now. If you would like for me to get back to you, leave your name and number and I'll call back as soon as I can. Thanks and have a good day."

"Damn." I lowered my phone from my ear and clicked off the call, not even waiting for a minute to pass before I went back to my contacts and selected Cam's number again.

" _Fly to the heights of all you can be. Fly ... fly..._ " There went another monotone beep. " _Soar on the hope of marvelous things..."_ And another. " _Fly to who you are. Climb upon your star. You believe you'll find your wings. Fly..."_ And another.

I was now on the verge of believing that no matter how many times I called, I wasn't going to be able to reach Cam at this hour.

" _Everywhere you go, your soul will find a home. You'll be free to spread your wings..._ "

Just then, as I was about to give up on contacting anyone and end the call, the monotone beeps came to an end and I was greeted with an exhausted, "Hello?"

My eyes widened a little. "Cam!"

"Zac?" His voice was gruff, proving that I had definitely woken him up from a dead sleep. "What ... what time is it? Why in the hell are you calling me at..." Cam paused, and I heard what sounded like him lazily shifting around on his mattress before he added in a more distinct and fierce tone, " _1:50_ in _the morning?_ Really, mate?"

"I know, I know. It's really early and I'm sorry for waking you up like this, but..." I had to hesitate, pursing my lips in thought as to how I should explain the unknown person singing outside. "I just woke up from _another_ stupid dream and I really need to talk to you. Something strange is going on here."

" _Fly ... you can fly ... to your heart._ "

Clearly too tired to notice the song, Cam let out a long yawn, right before he said, "You say that like these past few months haven't been strange for either of us at all."

"Cam, I'm not talking about Mako, my transformation, the trident, or the girls right now!" I exclaimed, but then reminded myself to keep quiet.

"Whoa, Zac, calm down!" Cam had raised his voice to match the volume of mine, but his was from surprise. "I'm just saying..." His tone softened again, "...if you woke me up to tell me about this new dream of yours, I'm pretty sure it can wait until we meet up at school. You know, so we can both sneak in a few more hours of sleep and I won't have to keep talking in a volume that prevents me from waking up my parents and receiving a lecture on why it's _so_ important to get at least seven hours of sleep every night."

"No, Cam! This is serious!" I made sure to whisper, but the urgency in my voice had taken a sharp and obvious increase. "This isn't about my dream! There's someone outside my house!"

In less than a second, I heard Cam lunge up. "What?" His tone was now alert, as though he'd never been tired. "Are they trying to break in?"

"No, it isn't a break-in. It actually sounds like ... like they're singing."

"Singing?" Cam asked, making it sound like a foreign word. I didn't need to see him to know that he had raised an eyebrow just now. "There's someone _singing_ outside your house?"

"Yeah, I heard them as clear as day." By this point, I was cautiously glancing around my room, eyeing some of the dark corners and dimmed pieces of furniture. I knew that this person was outside, but _where_ outside? "And something tells me they're still out there. Just listen, Cam."

On the other end of the line, I received nothing but Cam's obeying silence.

I kept my phone up to my ear, remaining just as quiet as my best mate as we both listened carefully. The seconds that ticked by felt more like hours, providing the sounds of only crickets chirping and leafs rustling together in the wind. A small piece of me began to wonder if this unknown person had heard me talking on the phone and hurried to get away from my house, but the rest of me knew that wouldn't have made any sense. If I could hear them singing, then I surely would've been able to hear them running off.

A couple of more seconds slipped by, and I could tell that it wasn't going to be long before Cam objected to there being no singing. I opened my mouth, fully prepared to convince him that I really had heard someone, but before I could get a word out...

" _Come fly with me. Let's soar across the clouds and sea. We can be together, mighty and free, for all eternity._ "

"...What ... the..." Cam said after a short, five-second pause. His voice was drenched in a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "...Hell?"

"My thoughts exactly." I flicked my eyebrows up, which was my silent way of telling people 'I told you so.' Even over the phone, I still found it effective. "See? There _is_ somebody singing out there."

" _Don't be - never be - afraid to spread your wings. Open them wide and fly to the heights of all you can be. Fly ... fly..._ "

I quickly turned my head in the direction of my hangout's back door, staring at it with a fierce look in my eyes. "Whoever it is," I whispered into my phone, "it sounds like they're somewhere in the backyard."

"Well, peek out one of your windows and see if you can see them." Cam instructed.

"Yeah, okay. Hang on." I tossed my blankets aside and climbed out of bed, dressed in nothing but a pair of dark red boxers. Noticing this, I immediately placed my phone back down on my nightstand - still keeping Cam on the line - and bent over, snatching up a worn out pair of gray sweatpants that were lying across the floor. I then pulled them up to my knees, eagerly wrestling to get them up the rest of the way as I swiped my cell phone back up and hurried over to the window that was closest to the back door.

" _Soar on the hopes of marvelous things..._ "

I quietly separated two of the closed shades, expecting to see this shady figure as soon as I peeked out. However, when I did, it didn't take long for my expectations to be shot down. Not only wasn't there a single person in sight, but there didn't seem to be anything at all out of the ordinary. My backyard looked just as calm and natural as it always did.

" _Fly to who you are. Climb upon your star. You believe you'll find your wings. Fly..._ "

"This doesn't make any sense." I mumbled for Cam to hear.

"What doesn't make any sense?"

I narrowed my eyes in thought. "By the sound of the voice, it's definitely coming from my backyard, but ... I'm looking out my window now and I don't see anybody outside."

"What? No one at all?" Cam asked. His curiosity had trumped his confusion, just like it nearly always did.

"No. There's nobody in sight," I answered, "but I know for a fact that there _is_ someone out there. Somewhere."

" _Everywhere you go, your soul will find a home. You'll be free to spread your wings. Fly.._ "

"God, this is eerie." Cam muttered. "Shhh! Be quiet, Leo!" In the background, his sister's cat had been meowing in an annoying loop for the past fifteen seconds. In return, I heard the nosy cat hiss, and I didn't need to see Cam to know that he just rolled his eyes. "I swear, I told Sherri a hundred times to keep that aggravating fur ball in her room. She knows that he aggravates _the hell_ out of me."

"Cam," I said, completely ignoring everything he just said about his sister and the cat. "I think I should go out there and take a closer look around."

"Whoa, that's not a good idea, mate! I've seen _hundreds_ of horror movies that began with scenarios like this." Cam cleared his throat, now full of alarm. "As soon as you go out there, this person will creep out from the shadows when you least expect it, quietly approach you from behind, and either throw a sack over your head and kidnap you, or harshly slice your throat with a blade and leave you to bleed out on the lawn."

I smacked my free arm down at my side. "Gee, Cam, thanks. I've always known that I could count on you for encouragement in times like this."

" _Pay attention to_ _the fireflies shine in the night. Allow_ _your passion to guide you through life. Let yourself fly..."_

"Zac," Cam said in all seriousness, "I really think you should call the police."

"And tell them what?" I asked, sounding almost desperate for a good and reasonable answer. "That I just woke up from having a dream and heard somebody singing in my backyard? They're going to think I'm crazy."

For a moment, Cam remained silent, making me think that the call had somehow been disconnected; but then, he released a deep sigh and said, "Okay, if you're really so keen on going outside to check on ... whoever or _whatever_ is singing, then at least keep me on the line."

"I was planning on it." Without another word, I quickly slipped on my nearest pair of flip-flops and unlocked the back door. After that, I grabbed the knob and just held it for a couple of seconds, trying to get used to how much smaller it felt in my hand before I found enough courage to practically throw open the door. And just like that, I was abruptly slammed in the face by a salty gust of wind that forced me to clamp my eyes shut and stumble back a few steps.

One of the many side effects that came with being a merman was the enhanced smell and taste of salt. It was probably the easiest side effect I could handle, considering I have always loved swimming and I've lived directly beside the sea all my life. Even when I was a full land person, nothing about salt ever bothered me; but right now ... something wasn't right. The taste and smell had gotten _even stronger_ , making me feel like I had just inhaled and devoured moist clumps of sand that had very recently been spit out from the ocean. What could've possibly got the air to be _this_ salty?

And that wasn't the only thing that was strange about this. Somehow, the gust of wind - after it struck me - began to mysteriously fade back into a gentle breeze, even though the _strongly_ enhanced taste and smell of salt continued to linger around. How could that have happened?

I shot my eyes back open, now glaring, and I finally walked outside. With every step I took, the grass swooshed under my flip-flops and I constantly looked from left to right, practically spinning myself around in circles every few seconds to see if I could spot anyone. Not only that, but ever since I flung the door open, the singing had come to an unexpected stop. So, I could no longer follow it.

By the time I reached the center of the lawn, still without spotting anybody, I couldn't help but stop walking and lower my head for a few seconds. I stuck out my tongue and gagged a couple of times. Thanks to the insanely briny wind, my merman senses felt like they had met their ultimate challenge. The smell overwhelmed my nostrils, almost burning them, and my throat was choked up with the thick, dry taste. Luckily, I wasn't in any excruciating pain at all; but there was still this slight queasy feeling beginning to form in the pit of my stomach.

"Cam," I said, now concerned on why I was suddenly feeling this way. "Do you know anyone in our school that's been out sick recently?"

"Uh ... no, no names come to mind. At least not at this hour. Why?"

I examined the back porch from where I was standing, reminding myself of the _actual_ reason as to why I was out there: to see if I could find the person that'd been singing.

"Um..." I pursed my lips and pushed the nausea aside as much as I could. "I'll explain that later."

Nothing looked out of place on the porch. It looked just as organized as it did the evening before, when my parents and I ate dinner together during the sunset. And when I shifted my attention over to the herb garden and rose bushes, I knew that I was wasting my time by this point. No one could have been hiding in any of the plants, considering their short height and how they were full of thorns.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed, but then quickly quieted myself again. "Whoever was out here must've gotten away."

"You mean, you don't see anybody?" Cam asked. Knowing him, he just raised an eyebrow. "Nothing suspicious at all?"

I shook my head, despite how he couldn't see me. "No ... and you know what makes all of this _even more_ weird?" 'Other than my sudden nausea.' I thought to myself.

"Is that even a possibility?"

"The singing," I pointed out, ignoring his rhetorical question. "It stopped as soon as I came outside ... and without it, I can't find where exactly this strange person is. Or at least _was._ "

Confusion started to invade Cam's voice again. "Are you sure ... this isn't some type of paranormal activity or something among those lines?"

"Ghosts? There's no such thing." I said with a roll of my eyes. "Wow, you definitely weren't kidding when you said you've watched hundreds of horror films."

"I've also read plenty of fairytales as a kid, and those went on and on about how mermaids didn't exist."

I quietly drew in a deep breath through my mouth, still trying to ignore my stomach's abrupt queasiness. It was actually starting to grow stronger - slowly, but actively taking a strange toll on me. Nonetheless, it hadn't reached a limit that made me feel like I was about to collapse or vomit, so I was able to continue keeping it on the down low for now.

"Anyway, paranormal voodoo and fairytales aside," Cam said, "what if all of this happened because of the trident?"

"What?" I was clearly caught off guard from hearing such a suggestion. "How could the trident be the thing that's responsible?"

"Well, you told me before that you were able to grab it that one time, right? You know, before you turned around and saw the true identities our little fishy companions?"

At the mention of Lyla, Sirena, and Nixie, I shook my head in annoyance and rolled my eyes. Nonetheless, instead of saying anything about them, I focused on Cam's first question and said, "Yeah, I held it. Why?"

"Well, what if there really was nobody singing outside your house at all?" questioned Cam. "What if it was in your head like - like some type of side effect or something?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Cam, I highly doubt that holding the trident for a couple of seconds would cause me to hear a mysterious voice out of the blue like this. Plus, _you_ never touched the trident and _you_ heard the singing just as clearly as I did."

There was another small pause on the other side of the line before Cam let out a small sigh. "Okay, I see your point. There really was someone, for some crazy and unknown reason, singing outside your house at this ungodly hour. But I still do think the trident is somehow involved."

"Well, whether it is involved or not, whoever was out here is gone now." I took yet another glance around, studying the porch, garden, and around the former garage a final time. "If they ever come back, I'll definitely-" Before I could finish my sentence, my voice trailed off when I shifted my eyes over to something else: my family's dock. All around it, the water was now the same shade of blue as a vibrant sapphire - which, of course, was normal during the day; but during these hours with just the moonlight, the sea was usually as dark as ink. Not only that, but the waves were rippling a little faster than I've ever seen a calm one do before, colliding together and slowly returning to a familiar pace.

"Zac?" Cam said. "You still there?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out as I continued to eye the water. As crazy as it may sound, it almost felt like the ocean was trying to tell me something ... something that was very important.

"Zac? Is everything all right, mate?"

"Uh..." I tried to think of something convincing to say back, but then, I shut myself up. Could the singing have been... "No way..."

"No way what?" Cam asked, his tone now swarming with anxiousness. "Zac, what's going on?"

"Um ... Cam, I got to go. We can continue this conversation over breakfast. I'll see you then."

"What? No, wait! Zac-"

I silently lowered my phone from my ear and clicked off the call.

I refused to break my focus away from my family's dock. It didn't look like any of the old beach chairs had been rearranged, but this new thought in my brain wasn't telling me to focus on the top of it. Is it really possible that the one who'd been singing was another _merman?_ Thinking back to it, the voice really did sound like it belonged to a male figure ... and now, no matter how hard I looked around my family's land, I still failed to spot anything or anyone suspicious. But, when I looked toward the ocean, I noticed that the ultra-blue water was slowly transforming back into its usual silvery black shade.

Just then, the queasy feeling in my stomach increased a bit more. The salty breeze was still burning my nostrils. And I began to wonder ... what if this unseen merman was the one somehow responsible for the strange changes in the briny air, the water ... and my health? Just at the thought of that, I sharply narrowed my eyes and formed a bold scowl. Finally, without allowing another moment to go to waste, I fast walked back across the lawn, through the opening of the fence, and up the short cobblestone path that led to the dock.

The nausea continued to grow a little stronger with every second that past; but then, as soon as I stepped up onto the dock, my gut settled like I was never ill to begin with. My flip-flops smacked against the whitewashed wood with every step I took as I stepped around a couple of the lounge chairs and a few empty worm buckets. At last, I came to a halt when I reached the edge, looking from left to right and examining the water as closely as I could without accidentally getting splashed.

Surely, the singing and the different appearance of the water was enough to prove that some other type of merlife had been involved here. Right?

"Maybe..." I lowered myself onto my knees and pressed my hands against the wood, careful to avoid splinters and any nearby puddles. My brain was swarming with hundreds of merman-related possibilities. "Maybe there's something under here..."

However, just as I was seconds away from lowering my head to take a glance under the dock, I was interrupted by the sound of a door sliding open, followed by my dad's confused voice calling out, "Zac!"

My heart took a rough leap in my chest from being so caught off guard. I ended up pushing myself away from dock's edge so fast that when I jumped back up onto my feet, I nearly tumbled back and fell right on my ass. With my dad now outside, it was far too risky for me to be so close to the water like this. One little splash from any of the rippling waves and it was all over for me.

"Yeah, Dad?" I called back, trying to sound as natural as possible. Until now, I had failed to notice that all of the outdoor lights around the back porch had been turned on, and my dad was standing with his arms crossed beside the patio dining set. It immediately came to my attention that he was still wearing the outfit from his meeting at the hospital yesterday: a pair of dark slacks with a maroon button-down shirt and black tie.

"What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in bed." Dad said. I could feel his eyes following me as I carefully stepped over the few salty sea puddles that were in my way. My heart was having a pounding fit by this point, but before I knew it, I managed to make it back to the dry stairs and immediately retreated to land. Absolutely no words could possibly describe how fantastic the relief felt as I followed the cobblestone path back into the grass.

"I know, but..." I paused for a moment to think, knowing that I couldn't tell him about the voice. "I thought I heard something and decided to take a look around."

"You heard something?" My dad asked, and when I nodded, he raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Hmph, that's strange ... I've been working on some paperwork at the kitchen table for these last couple of hours and I haven't heard anything."

So, _that_ explains why he didn't hear the singing! When it came to my father and anything that centered around his medical career, a bomb could go off and he wouldn't show the tiniest bit of notice.

"Yeah, um..." I forced a realistic smile across my face and shrugged. "Maybe it was just some crickets or ... maybe the wind."

And immediately after I said those last three words, I really wished that I had kept them to myself. Out of nowhere, another gust of the excessively salty wind plowed into me, striking me in the back of the head and almost forcing me to stumble a few steps forward from how strong it was. At the same time, a low growl erupted from the pit of my stomach, causing the phony grin to vanish from my face. I opened my mouth and quietly drew in a deep breath, trying to ignore how much it made my throat tingle from the saltiness, and I gently placed my hand against my stomach. The nausea had definitely returned, but this time, it wasn't teasing me. Now, it almost felt as if somebody's hand was inside of me and slowly twisting my intestines around, warning me that if I wasn't careful, I was going to throw up.

"Zac?" Dad said. He started to approach the edge of the porch, but then decided to stop. Concern glistened in his eyes. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, yeah," I replied, managing to maintain a convincing tone. "I'm fine. I ... probably just need to get back to sleep." 'This has _never_ happened before. This can't be normal.' I thought.

Just then, I noticed that the tall umbrella on the far opposite side of the porch started to flap around harder than it usually did. The only time I've ever seen it do that was during a storm, but the wind - like before - had softened and it wasn't strong enough to have the umbrella rocking around as roughly as it was.

"Well, all right. If you say so." Dad shrugged, but the look in his eyes told me he understood. "But if you decide that you want anything like Tylenol, you can-"

The umbrella's iron holder started to tilt, viciously rocking back and forth, and all of the sudden-

My eyes shot bigger than ever before. "DAD!" I yelled. "LOOK OUT!"

With a split second left to spare, my father whirled around and managed to jump out of the way, saving himself from being slammed by the umbrella. It soared past him, practically at the speed of lightning, and racked against the deck's edge before toppling down to the grass. As soon as it struck the ground, it lied motionlessly beside the herb garden.

I stared at it, my eyes still huge. That thing had been flung right out of its iron holder and all the way across the deck!

"What the hell!" My dad bellowed, right before he pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "Damn it, I knew I forgot to do something after dinner. _This_ is what happens when the umbrella doesn't get closed. The wind catches it and blows it around."

"Yeah..." I said slowly. "Do you want me to pick it up and put it back in its holder?"

My dad shook his head. "No, it's fine. It can wait until morning. No use putting it back when the wind might blow it back out again."

'Hell will freeze over the moment I believe that it was the wind that caused this.' I thought to myself, but still nodded at my father's words.

As for my nausea at this point, it felt like my stomach acid was slowly heating up, becoming increasingly choppy and sending uneasy waves throughout the rest of my body. I drew in another steady breath, just as the sides of my head began to throb from a massive headache. It turned out to be so huge and unexpected that I couldn't help but cringe.

"Zac?" Dad said with much more concern in his voice. "Are you positive that you're feeling okay?"

There was another low growl in my gut, but I quickly spoke over it. "Yeah, I'm really positive. I probably just ... inhaled too much of the salty air."

My dad opened his mouth to say something else. Nonetheless, he was cut off when the sliding-glass back door slid open, and my mother stepped out. Her hair was an absolute mess, indicating that she had been asleep just minutes before, and she was in the middle of tying her floral robe shut.

"Rob? What on earth is going on out here?" She then turned her confused gaze in my direction. "Zac, what are you doing up? You should be fast asleep. Don't you have a chemistry test to be ready for in a couple of more hours?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could get a word out, my father beat me to it. It was a good thing he did too, because my queasy stomach and headache decided to kick themselves up a notch more. I still wouldn't call what I was in excruciating pain, but it was definitely discomforting.

"Don't worry, Lauren. Everything is fine." Dad assured, just as I shot a fierce glare over my shoulder. I still couldn't spot anyone or anything, but there was no way in hell that the wind caused _that_ umbrella - with a long and thick brass pole - to fly across the porch and almost strike my dad. There _had_ to be magic and another merman involved with all of this. And not with just the umbrella, the sapphire seawater, or the ridiculously salty air, but ... what if my sickness...

...Was something like that even possible?

"I heard a loud crash," Mom remarked. Noticing how scared and concerned she was, I turned my attention back to her and tried putting on the most calming face that I could manage. Unfortunately, with the nausea still hanging over me like a thick cloud, I could only muster a small grin.

"It was just the umbrella. The wind caught a hold of it and blew it into the grass." Dad explained, right before he gestured towards me and added, "As for Zac, he told me that he thought he heard a noise and decided to look around for anything out of the ordinary."

"That's right," I spoke up, surprisingly being able to pull off my convincing tone again. "I was just checking to be on the safe side. Now, since I know the coast is clear, I _really_ think I should be getting back to bed." At the word 'really,' I almost winced again from the headache. It was almost like there was a drum being pounded on inside of my brain.

I could still see the concern for me glowing in my dad's eyes, but I could tell that he wasn't going to risk asking anything anymore. The last thing he ever wanted was to work my mom up.

"Yes, you definitely should." Mom agreed. She crossed her arms, and as the breeze whistled through her tousled hair and blew it out of her face, I realized just how exhausted she was. "Before you know it, you'll be having to wake back up for school. As for you, Rob, _please_ call it a night with your paperwork and come to bed."

"All right, dear. I'm coming now."

Mom nodded, turning away and sliding the patio door open again. My dad followed, his hands on her shoulders, but before either of them headed back into the house, they froze in their tracks and turned their heads back in my direction.

"Goodnight, Zac." Dad said.

"We'll see you in the morning. We love you." Mom then assured.

Despite the discomfort that I was in, I forced myself to put on another realistic smile. "Yeah, I'll see you both then. Goodnight, love you too." While beginning my retreat to the former garage, I kept my pace as calm and normal as possible. However, immediately after I made it around the corner, no longer in the sight of my parents, I couldn't help myself. The staged grin vanished from my face. I threw my arms over my stomach and hunched over, feeling like I was definitely on the verge of throwing up as I took off at the speed of lightning. I don't think I've ever ran so fast before in my entire life - not counting the multiple times of when I've accidentally been splashed and had to hide in public.

I practically dove back into my hangout through the back door, which I had left open the entire time. The sides of my head were throbbing. My stomach was sour and continuing to lowly growl every few moments. Another cringe slipped across my face, and I couldn't hold back the small groan that was pleading to be released. But then, as soon as I closed the back door and locked it behind me ... all of my discomfort dissolved. In the blink of an eye, the headache faded away and my gut settled - just like it had done when I stepped up onto the dock. There was no more gurgling, no more urges to vomit. It was as if I had never felt queasy to begin with.

"What the..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, catching my footing when I almost fell over. Why did I feel so dizzy all of the sudden? "How in the hell did _that_ happen?"

Until now, I hadn't really paid much attention to how scratchy my voice had become due to the dryness of my throat.

I hurried over to my desk, setting my cell phone down before I snatched up the bottle of water that I had left there the evening before. With no hesitation, I twisted the cap off and started to chug like I had been lost in the scorching desert for weeks. The feeling I got with every gulp I swallowed was beyond relieving.

By the time I made it to the middle of the bottle, I decided that I had drank enough. However, just as I thought I secured the cap back on it, I accidentally set it down too close to the edge of my desk and it toppled over. The cap popped off in less than a second, allowing the remaining chugs of the water to rain down and splash against my feet. Of course, my flip-flops provided no protections whatsoever, and the bottom hems of my sweatpants were left soaked.

Out of annoyance, I rolled my eyes; but before I could attempt making a run to my bed or the couch for a soft landing, I familiar tingle swept through my body and I lost my balance. My sweatpants and drenched flip-flops disappeared, leaving me lying facedown on the hardwood floor with my bright blue and white speckled tail flopping behind me.

"Great ... just as I thought that things couldn't _possibly_ get anymore aggravating right now..." I let out a deep sigh and rested my chin on my forearm. Then, for a moment, I remained silent to let _everything_ sink in, and I puffed a few strands of my now damp hair out of my face. "There is definitely another merman somewhere out there in the ocean, and by the looks of it, he has an interest in warning people about him." The image of the umbrella soaring through the air at the speed of lightning and nearly striking my dad kept replaying in my mind, causing me to narrow my eyes. Still, a small hint of satisfaction was able to seep into my voice. "Whoever he is, he's lucky that I didn't catch him ... but I can guarantee that after all of _that,_ I sure as hell will find a way."

And unfortunately for this mystery merman, I can't - and won't - be scared away _that_ easily.

Adrian's POV

I rocketed through the wide-open sea, leaving behind a never-ending trail of bubbles and a fading string of bright blue light.

Despite how I hadn't bothered to focus on my route for the many countless hours I'd spent underwater, I managed to arrive at my targeted destination in under twelve minutes; and that destination was the Mako reef. At first glance, it might've appeared as a gigantic mass of multicolored coral, starfish, and streaked clams that stretched on for miles and was inhabited by multiple schools of fish and lazy turtles; but there was actually a lot more to discover and explore around Mako's coast. Just beyond a group of sea anemones that was intimidating enough to turn pesky scuba divers away, there was this narrow underwater cave that had its entrance perfectly hidden behind a tall and stringy garden of yellowish/brown kelp.

Once inside, the water almost became entirely pitch-black from the absence of sun or moonlight. With every second you spent on trying to swim further and further back into the cave, the more the limestone walls - which were mostly jagged and smeared with algae - slowly closed in. And then, just as you start to think that you're going to be squashed between the rocks and suffocated to death if you didn't turn back, the cold walls spread widely apart, defying their previous narrow state, and you would find yourself surfacing in a humongous grotto.

The walls stretched up and provided hundreds - literally hundreds - of more secret tunnels that were equipped with air pockets and led all around Mako. This place, until I discovered it during my search for a new home a couple of months back, hadn't looked like it held any signs of being occupied by other forms of merlife. In fact, I highly doubt that this cave had been used for anything ever since the mermen were cast out of the ocean after the final battle. It was long forgotten about ... that is, until I found it.

I knew which tunnel was mine by heart. Its entrance was hidden behind a curtain of seaweed, in which was almost the exact same shade of green as the algae. If any scuba divers ever found a way to get in here, I can guarantee that the chance of there being a camouflaged cave wouldn't cross their minds.

In my official cavern, I was provided with both sun and moonlight through the translucent red and turquoise colored curtains. Thanks to a few dozen of old stalagmites that had broken off from the high ceiling, doable-sized holes had been left behind. Not only that, but I had an unbelievable amount of merchandise spread all over the place in my cavern. There were wooden chests stacked around, but while some remained closed and showed off their fancy carvings of waves and flowers, I had unlocked others and left them open. In one, there was dozens of rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that were created out of a variety of jewels - sapphires, rubies, emeralds, etcetera. And in another, gold and silver treasure coins were piled up on top of each other, almost overflowing.

Barrels, candles, books, empty glass bottles...

A grandfather clock - an hour off the correct time - sat against a small ebony table that had an underwater camera and some picture cubes that were arranged into a pyramid placed on it. Each one contained six different photos of many creatures: seagulls, dolphins, crabs, etcetera.

Multiple hour glasses, old-fashioned globes, figurines of angels and sailors, and neatly painted pieces of pottery were also stashed here. Plus, there were shells, chalices, lanterns, handbags ... hell, there was even a staircase that led up to a coffee table, a love seat, and some footstools. And lastly, at the far left corner of my private grotto was a crack in the wall that was just wide enough for someone to mange to slither through. Strings of wooden beads and glittery rhinestones hung down in front of it, as if it was an ordinary door, and on the other side of that gap was a flood of plump pillows, thick blankets, and a hammock. My personalized bedroom.

Half of this stuff, of course, came from the sea after they had drowned in shipwrecks or were abandoned on the beach and pulled out during the tide. As for the other half ... well, let's just say that I admired "borrowing" from the land people on a regular basis.

"What in the hell was _that?_ " I blurted out as soon as I made it to the surface of my medium-sized moon pool. "For these past few months, I've been working hard to keep on top of my assignment and find the trident, but while I continue to swim all over the ocean and search all of Mako for it, I overhear that two shore dwellers ... _Zac_ and _Cam_..." Saying their names left a bad taste in my mouth. "Know about it! They know about it and this _Zac_ has actually held it!"

Visibly seething in anger, I hauled myself out of the salty water and flopped over onto my ass. After that, as soon as I turned my head, the first thing that I saw was my reflection in this full body mirror that was prompt up against the wall. Aside from my naturally pale complexion, I had round eyes that were this mixed shade of greenish/brown, often glazed with bitterness and shooting daggers. Also, there was my hair: shoulder-length and as dark as the feathers of a raven, currently sleeked back with the seawater and exposing my bold face.

And, of course, there was my tail; but be warned, it isn't _anything_ like the typical merman tail.

Right below my navel, my skin dissolved into a dark green tail that had all of its speckled scales rimmed in vibrant shades of blue and purple. Not only that, but placed in each of their centers, there was an oval-shaped black speck, making it look like my tail's appearance was inspired by the backside of a peacock. A small dorsal fin, which was a few green shades lighter and rimmed in black, stretched from the middle of my tailbone to about my mid-calf. As for my wider fin - the one that took the place of my feet whenever I touched water, - it matched the design of my dorsal fin and resembled the shape of a shark's tail.

Also, instead of wearing a choppy and girly moon ring like all other forms of graduated merlife, I wore this necklace that was given to me as a young kid; so, no ... I haven't _technically_ graduated from so-called 'merman lessons.' But that didn't stop me from wearing the necklace. No matter where I went, I always made sure to have it around my neck, just like I did right now. It was a simple, thin chain that had a silver pedant shaped like a perfectly detailed sword hanging from it. The sapphire-colored moon stone was inserted in the part where the long blade was connected to the grip.

"How in the hell do they even know about the trident?" My voice furiously echoed through the grotto, practically trembling some of the leftover stalagmites. "They are _land people!_ They're not supposed to get involved with my kind, especially with something as strong as the trident!" I then started to cuss under my breath, closing my eyes and waving the bottom part of my tail up and down so it repeatedly splashed in the moon pool. "Those two are messin' with the wrong merman..." I curled my hands into tight fists, recalling the conversation I'd heard these Zac and Cam people exchange while I was under that dock. "The trident doesn't belong to them! I _need it_ to complete my damn assignment, but it's not going to help at all if those two are constantly one step ahead of me. Previously, Zac held the trident. The next time he manages to get it ... my God, he'll try to claim it."

Just then, it was as if everything had fallen into place; and as much as I despised the thought of socializing and spending time with shore dwellers just for the hell of it, I knew exactly what I had to do.

"So ... Zac and Cam think they can steal the trident right under my nose, huh?" I extended my arm out, focusing on a nearby vase that was surrounded by a few glass jars of wristwatches and tattered wallets. Almost instantly, I felt a familiar tingle race through my fingertips, and a small smirk curled up on the corners of my lips as I watched the vase begin to rise into the air. "Well, well ... it looks like it's time for me to swoop in and burst their precious land bubble. Cam, Zac ... you both better watch out, because Adriatic is coming."

I snapped my fingers and watched as the vase exploded into hundreds of pieces.

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 **A/N: Phew! This took me over a month to write! :)**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of "A Merman's Vengeance." Please share your thoughts! Reviews are very much appreciated! :) :) :D :D**

 **I am currently in my final nine weeks of school, which means I'm still juggling around homework, studying, and projects on the side of my writing. Nonetheless, I'm not giving up on _any_ of my stories, so don't worry about that. :) I get out on June 2nd! :D**

 **Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter! :D :D :) :) Happy writing and reading, everyone! God bless! :) :) :D :D**


	2. A Dangerous Power

**A/N: Hey, everyone! :)**

 **Who is ready for the next chapter? I know I am! :)**

 **But before the chapter begins, I would like to thank Izi Wilson for reviewing the previous chapter, as well as being the first one to favorite and follow this story. I would also like to thank all of you for taking your time to read it. It really means a lot! :) :) You are all amazing! :D**

 **Reviews really do make my day! :D :D Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or you can PM them to me! :) :) Thank you!**

 **Remember : This story is rated T for Teen because of language.**

 **Now, I believe I stated everything that I wanted to say. So, sit back, relax, and I hope you all enjoy the chapter! :) :D**

 **Happy reading! :D**

* * *

Sirena's POV

I ran the coral polish across Nixie's thumbnail, watching it sparkle in the light like glorious treasure. If you actually looked close enough, you could see the tiny specks of gold glitter that were mixed into the bright shade of pink. A bubbly grin was spread practically ear-to-ear across my face, showing off my teeth and dimples. I was pretty proud in myself, considering it took plenty of convincing to finally get Nixie to agree to sit down and let me do this. However, just because she reluctantly caved didn't mean that she was anywhere near as upbeat as I was during this activity.

It was about 6:15 in the morning. Nixie and I were already up and prepared for whatever was in store for us to handle on land today. As for Lyla, she was elsewhere during this time. I wish I could say her exact location, but I honestly had no clue where she was. By the time I woke up in our moon pool on Mako, I noticed that the seashell that she always used to brush her hair had been placed in a different spot and she was gone. So, as of now, it was just me and Nixie.

We were currently in Rita's grotto, sitting in two of the velvet beanbag chairs that were positioned around the coffee table.

Poseidon was also nearby, stretched across the staircase's wooden railing and watching us with that mysterious glimpse in his large eyes.

Nixie had her hands placed flat down in front of her, and she was watching me spread the shimmery polish across her nails with major boredom glowing in her eyes. Despite how much I could tell that she wasn't enjoying this, I still thought that this shade of pink looked really great with her new outfit. A couple of days ago, after we received some more money from Rita - which, if I remember correctly, she called an _allowance_ \- me and Nixie headed right back to the Ocean Café and purchased some new clothes. Lyla, on the other hand, was more of a lone shopper and preferred to go on her own time.

I'm not going to lie, my eyes enlarged and practically became all googly at the sight of these cute jewel-encrusted sandals. So, I didn't think twice before buying them. Aside from those, I also got a new pair of denim shorts and this mint green lace tank top that came with a solid white undershirt. As for Nixie, she spent her half of Rita's money on a black leather vest and a beautiful, knee-length, dark brown sundress that was decorated with tiny red, orange, and pink flowers. Plus, with her few leftover dollars, she ended up also getting a pair of sky-blue shoes - converse, I think they're called.

Needless to say, we both looked amazing and still blended in perfectly with all of the other land girls.

Ever since I first started painting her nails, Nixie had this bland expression plastered on her face. As I excepted, she - unlike me - was still completely drained from even the tiniest amount of excitement. I could feel her bright blue eyes impatiently watching my every move as she kept her lips tightly pressed together, making it look like she was a bitter sailor that was on the verge of cursing.

"Sirena," Nixie eventually spoke up with her accent dripping in confusion. She tilted her head a little to the right, continuing to watch as I stroked the coral polish across her next nail. "I'm sorry, but ... what exactly is the point of this activity?"

"I'm not really sure, but all of the land girls seem to do it." I replied with a small shrug. After that, I stopped in the middle of painting and tucked a few wavy strands of my bright blonde hair behind my ear. They had strayed away from the rest of my bangs, which were pinned back by a couple of small barrettes that were made out of some shiny oysters. "Maybe they do it to make their hands look more presentable for land boys." I then suggested.

At the mention of trying to impress land boys, a mixture of disgust and disapproval swept over Nixie's face. Her eyes were now wide and glassy, piercing me with disturbed disbelief. "Really? They go to _this_ much trouble just to get noticed by some land boys?" She paused for a moment, as if she was thinking her own question through, and then rolled her eyes. "I swear, I'll never understand any of these shore girls. Everywhere - and I do mean _everywhere_ \- we go on land, there's at least one of them trying to grab the attention of some land boy. It's..." Nixie blinked, eyeing the ceiling as she tried to find a word to use. "It's _preposterous_."

"Aw, come on. I think it's sweet," I informed. My smile refused to fade from my face as I finished up the final few strokes on Nixie's last nail. Then, when it was finished, I slid the thin brush back into the tiny vile and secured the top back on. "All right, you're all done. Just be careful. They're still wet."

" _Sweet?_ " Nixie scoffed, making it sound like a word that was only supposed to be used in mythology. She rose her hands up from the table, relaxing her elbows against its surface as she examined her new nails. "How could you possibly think it's _sweet?_ Their behavior is so..." A sickened cringe past over Nixie's face, "...repulsive and dumb."

As soon as she said that, my grin wavered. The first thought that had came to my mind was David - this cute land boy that worked at the Ocean Café. He was so sweet, always having a smile on his face and determined to keep the feelings of others in front of his own. After seeing and talking to him nearly everyday - it all going back to the first day when Lyla, Nixie, and I came onto land - it was almost difficult for me to recall how different the boys from my kind were.

"You only think that because we've never been exposed to this type of behavior before." I pointed out, trying my hardest to hide the pale pink blush that I could feel tingling across my cheeks. Despite the calmness of my voice, I could feel the strong urge to defend the land people - especially David - swirling through me like a massive whirlpool. "It was never spread through the sea for mermaids like us." I added.

Nixie flicked her eyebrows up. "You're right, it wasn't. And you know why?" Her serious eyes drew away from her nails, meeting my paler blue ones. "Because all of the mermen were banished out of the sea. Their pods were dissolved, the trident was locked away, and they had no choice but to leave and spend what was left of their lives on land." With every word she spoke, her accent grew more intense. "They weren't even allowed to swim or sing in the ocean anymore, much less think about _dating_ any of the mermaids."

What she was talking about related to one of Rita's lessons. The trident was known as the most dangerous and powerful weapon against mermaids and humans. Not only that, but Zac - another land boy with a much more salty attitude - was on a major hunt for it. Long ago, merman had built the trident and used it in a violent battle between them and the mermaids, trying to kill as many of them as possible in order to conquer all of the oceans. In the end, hundreds of mermaids and mermen perished, transforming most of the crystal blue water around the Mako coast into a god-awful mist of dark red. Til' this day, just thinking about all of that blood and torn scales flooding through the water made me feel sick to my stomach.

Nonetheless, it was the mermaids that officially won the war, and Nixie was right about what happened after that. The trident had somehow been locked away, considering no mermaid was able to touch it without getting electrocuted, and the many remaining mermen abandoned the sea. And ever since then, there hasn't been a single one of their kind lurking through the water - excluding Zac.

"Aren't you even the tiniest bit curious as to how things could've been if the final battle never happened?" I asked with a sparkle of hope shining in my eyes. "What if the mermen were never cast out from the ocean? What if they never had tried to destroy us in the first place? What if they were still around and we were all free to live our lives in the sea, exchanging the same types of affection as land people?"

"There's no point in asking any of those questions, Sirena." Nixie replied, shaking her head a little. She had softened her voice, but her face told me that she was still being serious. "I mean, even if I _did_ answer them, it obviously wouldn't matter. The war has been over for hundreds of centuries and aside from Zac, not a single merman has been in the ocean ever since."

My smile dissolved again. "I know, but..."

"Look, Sirena, I'm sorry to burst your bubble," Nixie cut me off, "but there's no time for us to daydream about what could've happened between us and mermen if the final battle never happened. It _did_ happen and we have much more important things to think about right now."

She was right, we did; but I just wanted to try taking my opportunity. Maybe if I brought up how many different opportunities we would have in the sea if the mermen never had turned against us, Nixie wouldn't try comparing them and their behavior to David. He and I _did_ come from two entirely different worlds, but he was so thoughtful and charming - nothing like any of the mermen had been. Unfortunately, now I knew from everything that Nixie has said that she and Lyla would _never_ understand if they found out that I had feelings for David. Back in the ocean, it broke many laws if a mermaid even thought about falling for a land person ... but I couldn't help it. I was falling head over fins for David. I never felt this way before and I absolutely loved it.

I guess the best thing to do is the idea that I've been hoping to avoid: I couldn't let Lyla or Nixie find out.

"I know, I know." I let out a little sigh, feeling the stupidity beginning to dawn on me. "You're right, it was ridiculous of me to even think about mermen like that."

As soon as I said that, the stubborn glimpse started to fade in Nixie's eyes. However, just as she opened her mouth to say something back to me, she was cut off when another voice blurted out, "What in the world is going on in here?" The tone was fierce, but also very curious. I knew that voice by heart; so did Nixie.

Poseidon let out a lazy _meow,_ swooshing his fluffy tail from left to right over the edge of the railing.

With no hesitation, Nixie and I snapped our heads in the direction of the voice. There, standing in one of the solid stone entrances of the grotto, was Lyla. She was wearing an outfit I've never seen before: a denim skirt, a simple pair of delicate orange flip-flops, and a red T-shirt that had a medium-sized black heart - which was broken halfway down down to the center - designed on the front. There was also the word _Heart_ printed across the bottom of the neckline and _Breaker_ along the lower stomach. As for her golden blonde hair, it was styled into two separate, nicely braided pigtails that were accompanied by a few glossy shells.

And lastly, she was holding a dark blue book in her hands; but it wasn't just any book. It was Rita's lesson manual - the book that contained every known fact about mermaids, including their powers, pods, moon rings, and sea creatures that they - _we_ \- could communicate with. The only time Rita allowed it to be off the shelves was when she was in the grotto with us and in the middle of teaching a lesson. _That's_ where all of the demonstrations to our abilities and instructions on how to preform magic came from. Though, there wasn't much information in it at all about mermen.

Lyla's pale green eyes glowed with confusion, skipping back and forth from me to Nixie.

Nixie straightened herself in the beanbag, still being careful of her nails. "And where exactly have you been all this time?" she then asked.

"I decided to take an early swim out along the reef," Lyla replied. This wasn't the first time she had decided to leave the moon pool for a swim without informing me or Nixie first. I watched as she then lowered her gaze back down to the book, trailing her fingertips ever so gently across the page before she pinched the edge and turned to the next one. After that, Lyla shot her head back up, revealing this new expression of utter disapproval that was now masking her face. "I was trying to come up with a new plan on how to keep Zac away from the trident. You know, Zac? The real reason we're here?"

Zac, as much as I hated bringing it up, was the reason why we were outcasts. Our pod - including my sister, Aquata - had fled to find a new home as soon as they heard about a land boy falling into the Mako moon pool on mine, Lyla, and Nixie's watch. As a result, the three of us had been cast out, left behind to defend Mako Island by ourselves. So, we made an agreement to use Aquata's moon ring - considering she gave it to me before she left - to develop legs and explore the land for Zac. By this point, after all of these months, we've kind of given up on our goal to remove his powers. For now, at least. The trident was a much bigger issue to focus on.

"Gees, Lyla, you don't have to treat us like we're a pair of guppies." Nixie informed with a roll of her eyes. She then drew in a deep breath, blowing it out against her wet, sparkly nails. "We know _exactly_ why we're here. We're here to prevent Zac from getting the trident and to make Mako a safe place again so the pod can return. You don't have to act like an urchin."

"I am _not_ acting like a damn urchin!" Lyla sneered, her eyes now sharply narrowed.

A slightly amused smile played around with the corners of Nixie's lips. "Wow, it looks like _somebody_ woke up on the wrong side of the moon pool."

It was then Lyla's turn to roll her eyes, right before she said, "This isn't the time to be painting nails. If we really do want the pod to come back, then we have to make sure that the trident stays locked up."

"And the only way to do that is to stop Zac, we know." Nixie groaned, considering we both have heard this type of lecture plenty of times from Lyla before. "When we were paying him back for nearly exposing Rita, maybe we should've also told him to stay away from Mako."

I picked up a small crayfish that was placed in the crystal dish in the center of the table and easily broke through its abdomen. After that, I wordlessly tossed it into my mouth and chewed, listening as a little _crunch_ filled the air with every bite I made.

"No, it wouldn't have worked." Lyla noted as she lowered her attention back down to Rita's book. "He might've listened to us about leaving Rita alone, but the moonlight draws him to the island every time there's a full moon."

Nixie raised one of her eyebrows. "Yeah, but maybe if we kept making him think that we were going to expose him in front of Evie, he would have at least agreed to fight the temptation like he used to."

Instead of saying back, Lyla shook her head and flipped to the next page in the lesson manual.

I swallowed what was left of the crayfish before speaking. "Lyla, you probably should go put that back. You shouldn't be reading it." My tone was a little nervous, but mostly full of authority. "You know what Rita told us; the only time that book is allowed to be off its shelf is when she's with us and teaching a class."

"Relax, Sirena. It's not like I took it out in public to read," Lyla pointed out. She glanced up, making eye-contact with me for a few seconds before she stared back down at the huge book again. "I'm just trying to see if I can find any new and interesting abilities for Rita to teach us about next. The more we learn, the better our chances are at reversing Zac's powers and keeping him away from the trident."

Poseidon let out another _moew,_ right before he hopped down from the railing and scurried away, disappearing around a corner.

Lyla began her way down the stone staircase, keeping her eyes on whatever she was reading. "There's so many neat things in here." A wide, fascinated smile molded its way across her lips. "I can't believe there are so many powers that we aren't even aware of yet."

"Most mermaids don't discover their new powers until they receive their moon rings." I reminded her. "We still have a lot to learn before we try anything too advanced."

Suddenly, as she turned to the next page, Lyla froze in her tracks. "Hmm..." She tilted her head a little to the side. "This doesn't look _too_ advanced. Check it out, guys."

Nixie and I watched as she lowered herself down onto her knees and placed the book down on the table for all of us to see. On the page it was opened to, there was a perfectly detailed outline of an eye, along with a list of instructions that was printed in black ink. It was a little smeared after being handed down in mermaid history for over a hundred years, but it was still readable. The title at the top of the page read _Compulsion._ I know for a fact that I've heard the name before, but I didn't have the slightest clue as to what it really was.

I squinted, taking in every detail of the page.

"Compulsion?" Nixie asked. Her accent was drenched in curiosity as she eyed the title.

Lyla picked up a crayfish by its tail and placed the whole thing in her mouth. "Yeah," she said, taking the time to chew between words. "I've never heard of it before, but the name sounds pretty promising and useful."

I opened my mouth to say something back, but before I could get a word out, the sound of someone walking started to softly echo through the grotto. It was followed by Poseidon meowing once again, and just as the footsteps came to a stop, the sound of another familiar voice said, "I'm getting ready to leave for school, girls. What are you up to?"

Lyla clutched her eyes shut, as though she was saying, _'Shoot! We're busted!'_

Nixie and I immediately shifted our attention over to the grotto's main entrance. Lyla reluctantly did the same after a few seconds, swallowing and cracking her eyes back open. There, standing in same archway that Lyla had stood in when she first entered, was Rita. As the principal of Suncoast High, which just so happened to be Zac's school, she looked just as sophisticated as always. Her reddish/dark brown hair was pulled back into a perfect chignon style, revealing her whole face. Also, aside from her favorite seahorse necklace, she had on a classy black dress that flowed down to the bottom of her knees, a matching pair of high-heeled wedges, and an elegant ivory sweater that had some shiny pearls sewed into the fabric.

Rita used to be part of a pod, but after falling in love with this shore dweller named Henry, she was forced to leave and never return. Not only that, but with their wedding just around the corner, Henry ended up passing away in a tragic accident. Rita never liked talking about it, so neither Lyla, Nixie, or I ever found out exactly how he died. Nor did we even want to. Now, Rita lived her life on land, pretending to be our aunt and teaching us how to control our powers better.

She studied the three of us, but it didn't take long for her eyes to fall on the book. "What are you girls doing with my lesson manual?" Her lips straightened in disapproval. "You know the rules; unless I'm teaching a class, it's supposed to be blending in with the rest of the books on the shelves."

Poseidon appeared by her feet, releasing another _meow_ before he trotted over to one of the nearby chests and hopped on top of it. He must have went through his special kitty door to lure Rita into the grotto - something he did on a regular basis.

"Why do you think it's out? Take a wild guess." Nixie spoke up, right before she turned her head and eyed Lyla with a dull look.

In return, Lyla shot her a resentful glare; but it faded from her face as soon as she glanced back at Rita. "I was only trying to read up on some new powers to see if you would be willing to teach us about them during our next few classes. We need to stick to our strategy on handling the trident and Zac, but our most recent lessons - no offense - haven't been much help lately."

Rita almost immediately started her way down the stone stairs. "Girls, almost all of the powers that are explained in _that_ book are far too dominant and advanced for the three of you to handle right now." The _click click click_ of her shoes sang through the grotto with every step she took. "They're not meant to be practiced until you have your moon rings."

"Our moon rings?" Lyla asked, clearly caught off guard. "That's too far away! Besides, without the pod or the trust of the mermaid council, who can say we're _ever_ going to receive them? I think the more we learn now, the higher our chances will be while dealing with Zac the next full moon."

"Trust me, Lyla," Rita said, choking back on a small laugh, "it'll take _much_ longer than just a couple of weeks to master any of _those_ abilities."

The hope in Lyla's eyes started to dissolve faster, but she - being her and all - refused to give up. "Well, we'll never know unless we try, right? Can't we at least attempt one? Just one?"

Rita shook her head, stepping down the final stair. "I'm sorry, but it's too risky. The powers in that book are _a lot_ more difficult to get a grip on and I don't want you girls to accidentally put yourselves, Zac, or possibly any shore dwellers in danger."

I grabbed another fresh crayfish, preparing it the same way as I did the last one before I placed it in my mouth. Aside from David's delicious watermelon smoothies, prawns and crayfish were definitely the tastiest breakfast dish.

"Well ... _this one_ doesn't look so bad, Rita." Nixie suddenly commented. My eyes glowed with curiousness as I watched her motion to the _Compulsion_ page, still being careful of her nails. "Do you think you could possibly give this one a shot with us?"

Pursing her lips again, Rita approached the table and glanced down between me and Lyla. The whole grotto fell silent, but it only took a few seconds for her to examine the wide-open page before her eyes expanded.

"Oh no," Rita said. She eagerly shook her head, her accent now soaked in utter seriousness. "Absolutely not. There is no way that I could _possibly_ teach that right now. You three are definitely too young and not ready to learn about something like compulsion. Not until you're fully and properly trained as a mermaid."

Not being able to control it, my curiosity grew stronger right then and there. "Rita, what exactly _is_ compulsion?" I had made sure to swallow what was left of the crayfish before I spoke.

Rita glanced at me with slight nervousness shining evidently in her deep brown/vaguely green eyes. "Compulsion..." she started, but then paused to think about what she was about to say. After all, it was also a violation of the rules to teach certain lessons to adolescent mermaids. Though, Rita continued, sliding her attention over to Lyla and Nixie as she did. "Compulsion is like mind control. You stare directly into the eyes of a human or an animal and concentrate deeply on what you want them to say or do. Then, while maintaining your focus and eye contact, you speak in a calming and assuring voice, giving them the instructions."

My mouth fell open in shock, just as a wide and interested smile slipped across Lyla's face. It was obvious that she - after gathering this new information - was already in the process of coming up with a new plan.

"What, and that actually works?" Nixie asked. Doubt decorated her face as she blinked, trying to grasp what we were just told. "They'll just open themselves up like a bunch of clams and obey?"

Rita hesitated before shrugging. "Well, yes ... but only if you keep on top of your concentration. Not only that, but you would need to make sure that the person or animal maintains eye contact with you for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, they won't be effected and the compulsion won't work."

"Rita, you've _got_ to teach us this!" exclaimed Lyla, who was still beaming. "If we use compulsion on Zac, not only will we be able to get him to stay away from Mako and the trident, but he will also allow us to remove his powers!"

"No, Lyla." Rita denied as she shook her head again.

"What?" Lyla's grin immediately faded, only to be replaced by shock. "Why not? This would make our job _so much_ easier."

" _And_ so much more dangerous." Rita pointed out. She flicked her eyebrows up, turning her head back over to me and Nixie. "Using compulsion requires the wielding of _a lot_ of physical energy, as well as perfect concentration and a moonstone that's full of _plenty_ of energy from the moonlight."

I peeked down at my hand and gently ran one of my fingers across the stone of Aquata's - I mean, _my_ \- moon ring. It didn't hold much power, considering it could only absorb so much moonlight every full moon, but it could still act as actual moonlight up to a few minutes if I focused hard enough.

"Plus, if you're not careful," continued Rita, "you might accidentally zap the person you're trying to put under your control. As soon as they're struck, they'll end up fainting and when - or _if_ \- they wake up, there's a high possibility that they'll suffer from intense memory loss or even develop depression."

"Depression?" I asked in a tone that was half uneasy and half confused.

"It's extreme sadness." Rita explained, right before she pursed her lips in a thinking manner. "Long ago, even years before the final battle took place, compulsion was one of the most common lessons that were given to adolescent mermaids and mermen. However, it didn't take long for the mermaid council to notice something; the more these mermaids and mermen were taught about compulsion, the more irresponsible they became with handling our secret. Dozens of them ended up getting eaten by killer whales, strangled to death by giant squids..." Rita then paused for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest. "And they were caught in nets and seen by sailors."

Nixie and Lyla's eyes widened in less than a second, and I couldn't help but gasp.

"They were able to get away," Rita went on, "but not without trying to use compulsion first. Unfortunately, they ended up zapping the sailors, causing them to faint on board and crash their ship onto some pointy rocks. All of the sailors, except for one, died from drowning. The survivor was washed-up on another island's shore, secretly being supervised by some members of the mermaid council. Within a couple of weeks, he had developed depression and ended up killing himself."

"Oh my God..." I could've sworn I felt some tears welding up in the corners of my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. "That's ... that's horrible..."

"Yes, it is," Rita agreed, and then let out a soft sigh. "Shortly after that happened, compulsion had practically been abandoned by our kind. The mermaid council made it a new law for young mermaids - and past mermen - to wait until they earned their moon rings before being allowed to practice _any_ advanced powers." Her eyes skipped around, examining me, Lyla, and Nixie. "I'm sorry, I know you girls miss your pod and want to handle this whole situation with Zac so they can come back, but using compulsion is out of the question."

I couldn't help but frown a little at the mention of the pod. There were absolutely no words that could possibly describe how much I missed Aquata. Singing with her, swimming with her, collecting shells with her ... she was the best sister that any mermaid could ever ask for. And I wanted her to come back to Mako.

Lyla shook her head a few times, keeping her eyes on Rita. "That was centuries ago. Surely you can give it a try with _us._ "

" _No,_ Lyla." The sharpness in Rita's accent enhanced. "I can't. It's far too risky. And even if I was willing to, I'm afraid that it has a very low possibility of helping us deal with Zac. After all, it is very rare for a mermaid or a merman to be able to use compulsion on each other without exhausting themselves or accidentally zapping the other. I'm sorry, but I won't be teaching that lesson. End of discussion." Just then, before Lyla could attempt opening her mouth to say anything back, Rita took a glance down at her watch. Within seconds, she turned away and began walking back up the stone stairs. "All right, I _really_ have to get to the school and finish some paperwork before classes start. Promise me, girls, that you will put that book back in its original spot."

"We promise." I spoke up almost automatically. "Keep an eye on Zac and Cam for us if you can, please."

"I always try to." Rita informed as she quickly walked over to a nearby desk and snatched up a few papers. "I'll also try to come up with some new lessons, but I can't make any promises as to when I'll be available to give them. Schoolwork is getting more and more hectic, so I need to make sure that I keep on top of my job as the principal."

"It's fine, we understand." Nixie assured, right before she blew another puff of air at her nails.

"Okay, I'll be back around three." Rita slipped on a sleek purple purse, adjusting the straps so they were resting on her shoulder. " _Please_ don't get into any trouble while I'm gone. I'll see you girls later."

"Bye, Rita!" I said, waving at her. "Have a good day at school!"

Without another word, Rita flashed a quick smile and then exited the grotto. With every step she took, the _tap tap_ tapping of her heels grew softer; and eventually, they were no longer able to be heard.

Though, the silence didn't last long. It was interrupted when Nixie said, "Lyla, what are you doing?"

With no hesitation, I turned my head in Lyla's direction. She was reading the _Compulsion_ page of Rita's lesson manual, tracing her finger across the list of instructions and silently mouthing them to herself. Though, at the sound of Nixie's voice, she peeked up just long enough to send her a glance that made it look like she was saying, 'Are you kidding me right now?'

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm reading." Lyla replied, right before she lowered her attention back down to the book. "It says here if you concentrate hard enough while staring deeply into the eyes of another person or thing, the moonstone you possess will fully glow and you'll feel the power surge through you. _That's_ when you know that you have enough light stored up from the moon to successfully compel. The more power that's in the stone, the more power you will feel and have." Lyla raised her eyebrows as she continued. "However, if the moonstone flickers, it means that the power is running low and you won't be able to compel the person or animal for long. Speak in a calm and trustworthy voice, just like Rita said; otherwise, the one you're trying to compel will snap out of it and break eye contact." Another fascinated grin spread widely across Lyla's face. "God, this is so cool."

"Well, you better get over how 'cool' you think it is." Nixie remarked as she went back to examining the glittery polish. "It's way too dangerous for us to mess with ... and that's coming from me."

Lyla scoffed. "Oh, come on. Surely it isn't _that_ dangerous."

In less than a second, Nixie tore her attention away from her nails and stared at Lyla in disbelief.

"What are you talking about, Lyla?" I asked, noticeably confused. "You heard Rita. Many mermaids and mermen have gotten themselves _and_ sailors killed from using compulsion."

"Only because they didn't know what they were doing!" Lyla exclaimed, narrowing her pale green eyes defensively. "Just because they used it aimlessly doesn't mean we would do the same!"

Nixie threw her head back, groaning in exasperation. "I swear, Lyla, you are like a crab that's constantly fighting another crab for its shell. You _never_ stop until you get what you want."

I turned my head from left to right, watching the two of them with confusion still glowing in my eyes.

"I'm just saying," Lyla sneered, piercing Nixie with an uptight glare. Though, it softened a little when she glanced at me. "We never know when it can come in handy. It could be very helpful."

"Helpful how?" I asked. By the sound of my voice, it was like I had converted back into a small fingerling. "We can't use it on Zac. Rita said that it's very rare for mermaids and mermen to be able to use compulsion successfully on each other."

"Who said anything about using it on Zac?" Lyla asked, as if she hadn't been thinking about it previously.

"Really, Lyla?" Nixie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If this isn't about Zac, his powers, or the trident, then why do you want us to learn about how to use compulsion?"

Lyla sharply narrowed her eyes again. "Oh, I don't know. How about if we came face-to-face with a group of stinging jellyfish or we were getting chased by a shark?"

"We can swim much faster than sharks," I reminded, "and as long as we keep our distance, the jellyfish won't try to sting us."

"Well, we still never know when - and _if_ \- a new problem will pop up. It can come in handy when we least expect it."

Nixie groaned again, only growing more irritated. She shot up from her beanbag, nails now fully dry, and walked over to another table. Poseidon sat nearby, watching her curiously as he rested upright on an old-fashioned globe.

"As of now, the only problem that we have to deal with is Zac and his persistence to get his hands on the trident, all right?" Nixie, to keep herself from raising her voice anymore, scooped up a handful of underwater trinkets and began pretending to examine them. A participation medal, some chunky rings, a few strings of wooden beads, and a couple of sand dollars were gathered together in her hand.

"You're just being stubborn and don't want to admit that I have a good point." Lyla scorned. "I'll prove to the both of you that using compulsion is actually very easy to do."

"Hold on a minute," Nixie dropped the trinkets back onto the table and dramatically turned back around. "You think _I'm_ the one being stubborn here?"

I sighed. "Guys, please..."

Though, instead of acknowledging what Nixie just said, Lyla turned her attention over to me and flashed another bright smile. Then, she extended her arm out and opened her hand in front of me as she said, "Sirena, let me borrow your moon ring."

"What?" My eyes shot gigantic, looking like they were on the verge of exploding out of my head. "For what?"

Lyla, after a short pause, casually shrugged one of her shoulders. "I'm going to try it out."

It took less than second for my jaw to drop and I nearly had to choke my words out. "You're going to _what?_ "

"You've _got_ to be kidding me, Lyla!" Nixie snapped. Her voice was now raised to the point where I could've sworn it rattled the chandelier. "What makes you think that you can handle something like compulsion? You can't even communicate with dolphins! Besides, you heard what Rita said; it was practically abandoned because it caused _so m_ _any_ deaths."

At the mention of her communication disadvantage, Lyla angrily tightened her jaw. She was the only mermaid that I knew who couldn't talk to any sea creatures. Even when we were with the pod, she would isolate herself even more from everyone whenever we decided to take a swim with turtles, dolphins, or different schools of fish. However, even that didn't stop Nixie from bringing it up from time to time.

"Talking to dolphins and other sea creatures doesn't provide us with the same advantages as mind control." Lyla pointed out. With every word she spoke, the more impatient her accent grew. "It really can help us."

A sarcastic grin played around with the corners of Nixie's lips. "Oh, right. Why don't you go tell _that_ to the the dozens of mermaids and mermen that got themselves eaten alive and strangled to death after attempting to use it?" Nixie then crossed her arms over her chest, enhancing her sarcasm some more as she added, "Or how about you go take a swim along the reef with the ones who are responsible for drowning those sailors? And not to mention causing the one who survived to become depressed and commit suicide?"

I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of the last sailor. Out of the millions of horrible ways to die, taking your own life had to of been the absolute worst.

"Obviously you haven't taken the time to consider the fact that I'm _nothing_ like them. Unlike them, _I'll_ be careful." Lyla assured, but her glare didn't help her seem all that convincing. "But according to the book, a moonstone is needed for compulsion to work. It needs to be a powerful one ... but since this is just for practice, maybe not as much moonlight will be required."

My mind began to fog up with a wide-open sea of memories. Over these past few months, my moon ring has always been the source of moonlight that was used to try out new abilities; and all of them ended badly. When Lyla and I used it to attempt pushing the rainfall back, we ended up making it snow inside, trapping the two of us inside Rita's house with a fatal case of snow rash. And this other time, Lyla tried to take my moon ring to use it on Mako; she wanted to open the secret passageway that led to the trident's chamber, but only ended up getting herself and Zac trapped inside. And now ... she wanted to use it to practice compulsion.

"I'm sorry, Lyla," I said as I shook my head, "but I will not allow you to use _my_ moon ring for this."

"It'll only be for a minute," she promised, keeping her hand held out in front of me.

"No!" I shook my head again, but this time, I was much more eager. "I said that you _can not_ use my moon ring!"

Lyla stared at me, clearly caught off guard by the sudden change in my tone. She reluctantly pulled her arm back, but continued to watch me as I placed my ring-wearing hand over my heart and folded my other hand on top of it. I had to make sure that I kept the remaining power from the moonstone stored up in case of emergencies; and _this_ wasn't an emergency.

The entire grotto fell silent once again. I could feel Nixie's eyes jumping back and forth from me to Lyla, but no one said a word. About fifteen seconds went by before Lyla finally pursed her lips and helped herself back up onto her feet, using the table for support.

"All right, fine. I guess I'll have to resort to plan B then." With dissatisfaction shimmering in her eyes, Lyla walked over to a wide-open chest that was overflowing with glorious treasure. At the top, surrounded by clumps of fools gold and fancy chalices, was a shiny oyster shell. Lyla didn't think twice before picking it up and opening it, revealing two other moon rings that laid in a patch of sand.

Once again, my mouth fell open from shock.

"Oh my God, are you being serious right now?" bellowed Nixie. "You're really going to use Rita's moon ring? You're feeling _that_ desperate to do this?"

"I'm not desperate. I'm determined." Lyla remarked, keeping her voice sharp. She picked up one of the moon rings and slid it onto her finger, right before she gently placed the oyster back in its original spot.

"If Rita finds out about this-" I began to speak, but immediately fell silent when Lyla glanced over at me.

"She's _not_ going to find out about any of this because _none of us_ are going to tell her. Besides, all I'm going to do is practice a little magic."

"And who do you suppose is going to be your guinea pig for this?" Nixie asked as she narrowed her eyes a little. "I highly doubt that Sirena will let you practice on her and I'm sure as hell not going to let you practice on me."

Lyla rolled her eyes. "Calm your scales, I'm not going to try it out on either of you." Flipping one of her braids over her shoulder, she turned her head in a different direction and raised her eyebrows at something. A small grin tugged at one of the edges of her mouth. "I'm going to try it out on _him._ "

With no hesitation, Nixie and I followed her gaze and our eyes ended up landing on Poseidon. He was still sitting on the antique globe, licking his paw and minding his own business by this point.

"You're going to compel _the cat?_ " Nixie asked with an eyebrow raised.

Lyla looked at her and sarcastically shrugged. "Do you have any better ideas? According to the book, compulsion can work on both humans _and_ animals, land or sea."

A mask of worry covered my face as my mind began to flow with hundreds of compulsion-related outcomes. "But what if something goes wrong and you hurt him on accident?"

" _Nothing_ is going to go wrong. I swear, you two _really_ need to stop stressing out over the tiniest things." And on that note, Lyla slowly approached the table and ever so gently placed her ring-wearing hand flat against its surface. Poseidon almost immediately perked his head up, brushing his paw against the side of his face as he watched Lyla carefully bend down so the two of them were at eye-level.

I watched in a mixture of suspense and fear, while Nixie crossed her arms over her chest again and watched like she couldn't possibly care less.

Lyla tilted her head a little and stared deeply into Poseidon's bright yellow orbs. Then, after a few more seconds, Lyla began to talk in such a fragile and calming voice.

"Poseidon ... you will clear your mind and listen only to the sound of my voice. Obey my instructions as soon as you hear them. As of now, I want you to purr."

No matter how many times I tried looking away, I couldn't stop staring at Rita's moon ring. The stone wasn't glowing, meaning that it was either out of power or Lyla must've not been concentrating hard enough; but still, my mind was scaring me into believing that the moonstone was going to light up at any moment and zap Poseidon. Rita has never steered me, Lyla, or Nixie in the wrong direction before; so I really did think that compulsion was not only too risky to try out, but it was much harder to learn and get a hold on.

Poseidon blinked a few times and stuck his tongue out, licking his lips.

Confusion instantly began to pool up in Lyla's eyes. She took a quick glance down at the moon ring, and after confirming that the stone wasn't shining, snapped her attention back on Poseidon. If anything, she enhanced the delicateness in her voice as she - of course - tried again.

"Poseidon, you will listen to my orders like the well-behaved cat that I'm telling you to be. Now, purr."

Once again, out of complete reflex, I darted my attention down to Rita's ring. The moonstone - to my surprise - _still_ wasn't glowing.

Poseidon's whiskers twitched, but other than that, he showed no signs of falling into the temptation to obey anyone.

Lyla peeked down at the moonstone again; though this time, it was obvious that she was starting to lose her patients. It was like the ring was taunting her - and trust me, as an adolescent mermaid in training, that can get pretty aggravating real fast.

"What the hell..." Lyla grumbled under her breath, flicking the moonstone a couple of quick times. Then, as she connected her eyes with the cat's again, she exclaimed in a more demanding tone, "Purr, Poseidon! Purr! _Purr!_ "

Poseidon squinted, as if he was glaring, and remained silent.

"Ugh, damn it!" Lyla pursed her lips in an angry manner and stared darkly at the ring on her finger. "I don't get it, why isn't it working? I did exactly as the book said!"

"Well, maybe the ring just needs to be charged up." I said in the most encouraging tone that I could muster. After all, I didn't want to try bringing up the possibility that Lyla wasn't concentrating hard enough to activate any of the stored up magic. "You know Rita, she always leaves it in here. There's no access to moonlight, so it hasn't captured much of anything in quite some time."

"Or ... _maybe..._ " Nixie spoke up, sarcastically raising her shoulders as she tilted her head from side to side. "Just perhaps, Lyla ... you aren't putting enough focus into this 'attempt' of yours and with every passing second, you're only pushing the magic further away from your control." At the sound of her putting extra emphasis on 'attempt,' Lyla slowly glanced over her shoulder and shot a scowl that was daring Nixie to repeat herself; but also warning her that if she did, it wouldn't end well.

"Oh, really? Well, I'd like to see _you_ and that 'peppy' attitude of yours do better." Lyla sneered, purposely stretching out the word 'peppy' to make her accent sound more insulting. "Surely you must think that you can do it if you have the guts to mock me on my first try."

Nixie narrowed her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, there's a huge difference between mocking someone and telling them the truth."

With a scoff, Lyla dropped her attention back down to Rita's ring and twisted it around a few times, pretending to make it more comfortable. "I knew it..." A taunting smirk started to peel across her face. "Unlike me, you are _too afraid_ to practice compulsion. It's too much for _you_ to handle."

"Lyla, come on," I piped in, my voice and face exposing my plead, "let's not be rash. Rita told us just how dangerous compulsion - Nixie!" Startled, my mouth fell open as my bright blue eyes locked on Nixie. Apparently, what Lyla just said was definitely the last straw for her. With her cheeks burning redder than two fresh lobsters, Nixie stormed over to the treasure box and snatched up the oyster. She practically ripped it open, refusing to let another minute go by before she picked up and slipped on Rita's second and last moon ring.

"Guys, can't we just forget about this?" I asked. " _Please?_ "

"Lighten up, Sirena. We're just practicing a little bit of magic." Lyla said, continuing to smirk as she watched Nixie approach the antique globe, where Poseidon was still lounging. "You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

I couldn't help but let out a small scoff, despite how anxious I still was. "No, thank you." I then crossed my arms over my chest and curled my fingers up so I could hide my moon ring from view. "Absolutely not."

"All right, fine." Lyla shrugged after a short pause. "Suit yourself."

"Excuse me, but I'm trying to concentrate here." Nixie prodded, shooting a look over her shoulder at me and Lyla to silence us before she glanced back at the cat. Immediately, her nose crinkled, and I knew that it was because she didn't exactly have the world's greatest relationship with Poseidon. In return to her stare, Poseidon let out another _meow_ and started to lick his other paw, as if he was ignoring her.

"All right, _pussycat_ _,_ " Nixie said, her accent stubborn as she spoke through slightly clenched teeth, "the faster you look into my eyes, the faster this will be over for the both of us, okay?"

"Did it already slip your mind that you need to maintain a _calm_ and _trustworthy_ voice?" Lyla asked, making me wish that she hadn't spoken so sourly.

"Actually, no. I know exactly what to do. Now would it kill you to relax and keep your opinions to yourself? I'm working on it." Nixie gently placed her ring-wearing hand beside the globe, her fingertips barely grazing the table, and watched as Poseidon reluctantly stopped licking his paw to look up at her. As their eyes met, Nixie quietly drew in a deep breath, easing herself before she began to speak in a voice that was as smooth as silk. "Okay, Poseidon ... listen to me ... follow my voice..."

Poseidon tilted his head a little to the side, obviously curious and determined to understand what was happening. His intensely yellow eyes gleamed in the light, refusing to break away from the brightness of blue in Nixie's eyes. The two of them were practically staring right into each other's souls.

"I tell you, it's impossible to ignore... so, I want you to clear your mind ... and obey my ... my..." A confused note invaded Nixie's voice. She opened her mouth to continue with her compulsion attempt, but then seemed to wince before quickly clenching her eyes shut. Then, after she opened them back up, she blinked a couple of fast times and quickly made eye contact with Poseidon again. " _Obey_ my instructions. Clear your mind from hairballs and ... and, um..." There went another small cringe, but Nixie shook it off and continued on. "And prawns ... clear your mind from all of those thoughts ... um..."

"What in the heck is happening?" I muttered under my breath. My eyes were huge and overflowing with a mixture of worry and suspense; but when I turned my head to repeat my question to Lyla, I stopped when I noticed that disbelief was plastered on every inch of her face. Her eyes were just as large as mine and her mouth was hanging open, causing me to immediately follow her gaze. And that's when I noticed something different about the moon ring on Nixie's finger. Its perfectly round, bright blue stone was glowing vibrantly.

My fear of Poseidon accidentally getting zapped made a sharp return, causing me to jump a little. A small gasp escaped from my mouth.

From the corner of her eye, Nixie sneaked a peek at the ring; and as soon as she did, the moonstone started to flicker. It was running low on magic, which was all Nixie needed to see before she quickly drew her attention back over to Poseidon.

"Stay focused on my eyes ... and my voice..." Her fingers twitched a little as she curled them upward, almost forming a fist. I could see the haziness beginning to form in her eyes ... and it finally occurred to me what was going on. "Poseidon..." Nixie whispered through another tiny cringe, "...you _will_ listen to my orders. Right here, right now ... I am telling you to purr. So ... _purr._ "

And just like that, Poseidon's nosy and mysterious gaze faded, only to be replaced by a stare that was full of admiration and the desire to obey. His dark pupils dreamily expanded, as if he had transformed back into a sensitive kitten, and without allowing another moment to slip by, the stubborn cat _actually_ purred. Though, the compulsion didn't last long. Whether it was because the moonstone stopped shining or because Nixie ceased her focus, I couldn't give a direct answer. All I knew for sure was that Poseidon wasn't pleased.

He wrinkled his nose and tightly clenched his eyes shut, snapping out of the trance. Then, the dazzling white fur on his back spiked up as he rose to all four of his feet and stretched out his toes, showing off his claws. He hissed, arching his back like he was getting ready to attack; but instead of starting a fight, Poseidon only shot Nixie a warning glare and hopped down to the floor. He ran like a shark was chasing him, racing up the stairs and leaving behind behind nothing but the small echo of a few _meows_ as he disappeared behind one of the rocks.

A glint of jealousy was vibrant in Lyla's eyes. At first, I thought that she was going to go all out on a bitter rampage, claiming that Nixie had just experienced beginner's luck or something like that. Nonetheless, it didn't take long for me to be proven wrong. All Lyla did was impatiently straighten her lips and ball her hands up into fists before jamming them into the pockets of her skirt. She must have been thinking that Nixie was going to start gloating at any moment ... but Nixie wouldn't even look at us. In fact, she was still knelt down in front of the globe with her forehead resting against the edge of its table, steadily breathing.

My eyes might as well have been seconds away from popping out of my head. "Nixie!" I quickly ran over to her side and placed my hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Nixie, what's wrong? Are you all right?"

"Um, yeah..." There was nothing different about her voice, aside from how tired she suddenly sounded. "I'm ... I'm fine..."

"You don't sound fine." Lyla remarked, now sounding both confused and concerned.

Nixie almost reluctantly lifted her head up from the table. "Well, _I am._ There's nothing to worry about. It's just a stupid headache, I'll live." She pinched the bridge of her nose, using her ring-wearing hand to press against the table and help herself up. However, as soon as she was back on her legs and about to take her first step, her knees wobbled underneath her and she was sent toppling to the side.

Letting out a startled gasp, I reacted fast by grabbing Nixie by her shoulders before she could hit the floor. It was like she was under the influence of kelp spores - something that almost all mermaids were allergic to, but nearly none showed the same side effects.

"Oh my God, Nixie!" I exclaimed as I looped one of her arms around my shoulders to help her regain her balance.

"What in the hell is going on?" asked Lyla.

Nixie's head bobbed a little as she placed her ring-wearing hand against her forehead. She continued to draw in one recharging breath after another, watching her feet move as I led her over to a nearby row of pillows and quilts on the rocks. Finally, I untangled her arm from around me and gently helped her take a seat.

"Would you mind not speaking so loudly?" Nixie asked, directing that question to Lyla as she slumped back and made herself more comfortable. "Like I said, it's just a headache. It'll go away soon."

"Don't you guys get it?" I asked. I had no choice but to raise my voice, exposing the authority that'd been building up inside of me for a while now. "Rita said that using compulsion requires the wielding of _a lot_ of physical energy. Physical energy that we haven't managed to build up yet." I flicked my attention over to Nixie. "Nixie, you were straining yourself. You were pulling physical energy from every possible place in your body and forcing it to commit to the compulsion. We haven't learned how to build up or control our physical energy to _those_ kinds of extent levels yet."

Nixie raised an eyebrow. "And in shorter terms, that would mean?"

"You exhausted yourself," I replied, " _t_ _hat's_ why you have a headache. Any longer and the compulsion could've drained you completely." I then turned my head over to Lyla. "See, this is why we should've listened to Rita and not bothered with this mind control stuff in the first place. It really is too difficult and dangerous for us to get involved with."

"Sirena, we are _already_ in danger, remember?" Lyla asked. "If Zac gets the trident, it'll be the end of us, our powers, Mako, and every pod in all of the seven seas."

"So _why_ should we make things even more dangerous by practicing compulsion? You heard what Rita said; it has killed plenty of mermaids, mermen, and sailors in the past and it can't help us with Zac because he's a merman."

Lyla opened her mouth to say something back, but before she could, I walked back over to the table and picked up Rita's lesson manual. Then, without a word, I closed it and held it close to me, glancing back and forth from Lyla to Nixie with that pleading glint returning to my eyes.

"I can't tell the two of you what to do," I remarked, shaking my head a little, "so if you guys really want to continue practicing compulsion, I can't stop you." A small pout tugged at the corners of my lips. "But I absolutely _refuse_ to be part of it and I believe that it is absolutely pointless. It is far too dangerous for both our kind and land people."

"Sirena..." Lyla attempted to speak, but I had already turned away and began my way up the stairs.

"I'm going to go put this back where it belongs, just like we promised Rita we would." I said, referring to the large blue book that was still pinned against my chest. "Keep in mind that the next full moon is in a couple of weeks. We have much bigger things to focus on, such as keeping Zac away from the trident and Mako so Aquata and the pod can return."

Finally, I exited the grotto with only one thought on my mind: Zac. Surely he was the only threat that was out there for me, Lyla, and Nixie to deal with. Right?

* * *

 **A/N: Phew! Finally, I have finished the second chapter! :)**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! :D :D Please share your thoughts! Reviews are greatly appreciated! :) :)**

 **My birthday is in just a couple of weeks! :D May 25th! :D :D I can't wait!**

 **Plus, I get out of school on June 2nd, which means I'll be free for summer before I know it! Awesome! :)**

 **A special thanks goes out again to Izi Wilson for reviewing the previous chapter and adding this story to their favorites/follows. Thanks! :D **

**Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter of "A Merman's Vengeance."**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy reading and writing to you all! God bless! :D :D :) :)**


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